sons of the soil-第56章

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roof。　The　type　is　that　of　Burgundian　homesteads；　the　traveller　will

see　thousands　like　it　when　visiting　this　part　of　France。



A　double　door　opened　upon　a　passage；　half…way　down　which　was　the　well

of　the　staircase。　By　the　entrance　was　the　door　of　a　large　room　with

three　windows　looking　out　upon　the　square。　The　kitchen；　built　behind

and　beneath　the　staircase；　was　lighted　from　the　courtyard；　which　was

neatly　paved　with　cobble…stones　and　entered　by　a　porte…cochere。　Such

was　the　ground…floor。　The　first　floor　contained　three　bedrooms；　above

them　a　small　attic　chamber。



A　wood…shed；　a　coach…house；　and　a　stable　adjoined　the　kitchen；　and

formed　two　sides　of　a　square　around　the　courtyard。　Above　these　rather

flimsy　buildings　were　lofts　containing　hay　and　grain；　a　fruit…room；

and　one　servant's…chamber。



A　poultry…yard；　the　stable；　and　a　pigsty　faced　the　house　across　the

courtyard。



The　garden；　about　an　acre　in　size　and　enclosed　by　walls；　was　a　true

priest's　garden；　that　is；　it　was　full　of　wall…fruit　and　fruit…trees；

grape…arbors；　gravel…paths；　closely　trimmed　box…trees；　and　square

vegetable　patches；　made　rich　with　the　manure　from　the　stable。



Within；　the　large　room；　panelled　in　wainscot；　was　hung　with　old

tapestry。　The　walnut　furniture；　brown　with　age　and　covered　with　stuffs

embroidered　in　needle…work；　was　in　keeping　with　the　wainscot　and　with

the　ceiling；　which　was　also　panelled。　The　latter　had　three　projecting

beams；　but　these　were　painted；　and　between　them　the　space　was

plastered。　The　mantel；　also　in　walnut；　surmounted　by　a　mirror　in　the

most　grotesque　frame；　had　no　other　ornament　than　two　brass　eggs

standing　on　a　marble　base；　each　of　which　opened　in　the　middle；　the

upper　half　when　turned　over　showed　a　socket　for　a　candle。　These

candlesticks　for　two　lights；　festooned　with　chains　（an　invention　of

the　reign　of　Louis　XV。）；　were　becoming　rare。　On　a　green　and　gold

bracket　fastened　to　the　wall　opposite　to　the　window　was　a　common　but

excellent　clock。　The　curtains；　which　squeaked　upon　their　rods；　were　at

least　fifty　years　old；　their　material；　of　cotton　in　a　square　pattern

like　that　of　mattresses；　alternately　pink　and　white；　came　from　the

Indies。　A　sideboard　and　dinner…table　completed　the　equipment　of　the

room；　which　was　kept　with　extreme　nicety。



At　the　corner　of　the　fireplace　was　an　immense　sofa；　Rigou's　especial

seat。　In　the　angle；　above　a　little　〃bonheur　du　jour；〃　which　served　him

as　a　desk；　and　hanging　to　a　common　screw；　was　a　pair　of　bellows；　the

origin　of　Rigou's　fortune。



From　this　succinct　description；　in　style　like　that　of　an　auction　sale；

it　will　be　easy　to　imagine　that　the　bedrooms　of　Monsieur　and　Madame

Rigou　were　limited　to　mere　necessaries；　yet　it　would　be　a　mistake　to

suppose　that　such　parsimony　affected　the　essential　excellence　of　those

necessaries。　For　instance；　the　most　fastidious　of　women　would　have

slept　well　in　Rigou's　bed；　with　fine　linen　sheets；　excellent

mattresses；　made　luxurious　by　a　feather…bed　（doubtless　bought　for　some

abbe　by　a　pious　female　parishioner）　and　protected　from　draughts　by

thick　curtains。　All　the　rest　of　Rigou's　belongings　were　made

comfortable　for　his　use；　as　we　shall　see。



In　the　first　place；　he　had　reduced　his　wife；　who　could　neither　read；

write；　nor　cipher；　to　absolute　obedience。　After　having　ruled　her

deceased　master；　the　poor　creature　was　now　the　servant　of　her　husband；

she　cooked　and　did　the　washing；　with　very　little　help　from　a　pretty

girl　named　Annette；　who　was　nineteen　years　old　and　as　much　a　slave　to

Rigou　as　her　mistress；　and　whose　wages　were　thirty　francs　a　year。



Tall；　thin；　and　withered；　Madame　Rigou；　a　woman　with　a　yellow　face　red

about　the　cheek…bones；　her　head　always　wrapped　in　a　colored

handkerchief；　and　wearing　the　same　dress　all　the　year　round；　did　not

leave　the　house　for　two　hours　in　a　month's　time；　but　kept　herself　in

exercise　by　doing　the　hard　work　of　a　devoted　servant。　The　keenest

observer　could　not　have　found　a　trace　of　the　fine　figure；　the　Rubens

coloring；　the　splendid　lines；　the　superb　teeth；　the　virginal　eyes

which　first　drew　the　attention　of　the　Abbe　Niseron　to　the　young　girl。

The　birth　of　her　only　daughter；　Madame　Soudry；　Jr。；　had　blighted　her

complexion；　decayed　her　teeth；　dimmed　her　eyes；　and　even　caused　the

dropping　of　their　lashes。　It　almost　seemed　as　if　the　finger　of　God　had

fallen　upon　the　wife　of　the　priest。　Like　all　well…to…do　country　house…

wives；　she　liked　to　see　her　closets　full　of　silk　gowns；　made　and

unmade；　and　jewels　and　laces　which　did　her　no　good　and　only　excited

the　sin　of　envy　and　a　desire　for　her　death　in　the　minds　of　all　the

young　women　who　served　Rigou。　She　was　one　of　those　beings；　half…woman；

half…animal；　who　are　born　to　live　by　instinct。　This　ex…beautiful

Arsene　was　disinterested；　and　the　bequest　left　to　her　by　the　late　Abbe

Niseron　would　be　inexplicable　were　it　not　for　the　curious　circumstance

which　prompted　it；　and　which　we　give　here　for　the　edification　of　the

vast　tribe　of　expectant　heirs。



Madame　Niseron；　the　wife　of　the　old　republican　sexton；　always　paid　the

greatest　attention　to　her　husband's　uncle；　the　priest　of　Blangy；　the

forty　or　fifty　thousand　francs　soon　to　be　inherited　from　the　old　man

of　seventy　would　put　the　family　of　his　only　nephew　into　a　condition　of

affluence　which　she　impatiently　awaited；　for　besides　her　only　son　（the

father　of　La　Pechina）　Madame　Niseron　had　a　charming　little　daughter；

lively　and　innocent；one　of　those　beings　that　seem　perfected　only

because　they　are　to　die；　which　she　did　at　the　age　of　fourteen　from

〃pale　color；〃　the　popular　name　for　chlorosis　among　the　peasantry。　The

darling　of　the　parsonage；　where　the　child　fluttered　about　her　great

uncle　the　abbe　as　she　did　in　her　home；　bringing　clouds　and　sunshine

with　her；　she　grew　to　love　Mademoiselle　Arsene；　the　pretty　servant

whom　the　old　abbe　engaged　in　1789。　Arsene　was　the　niece　of　his

housekeeper；　whose　place　the　girl　took　by　request　of　the　latter　on　her

deathbed。



In　1791；　just　about　the　time　that　the　Abbe　Niseron　offered　his　house

as　an　asylum　to　Rigou　and　his　brother　Jean；　the　little　girl　played　one

of　her　mischievous　but　innocent　tricks。　She　was　playing　with　Arsene

and　some　other　children　at　a　game　which　consists　in　hiding　an　object

which　the　rest　seek；　and　crying　out；　〃You　burn！〃　or　〃You　freeze！〃

according　as　the　searchers　approach　or　leave　the　hidden　article。

Little　Genevieve　took　it　into　her　head　to　hide　the　bellows　in　Arsene's

bed。　The　bellows　could　not　be　found；　and　the　game　came　to　an　end；

Genevieve　was　taken　home　by　her　mother　and　forgot　to　put　the　bellows

back　on　the　nail。　Arsene　and　her　aunt　searched　more　than　a　week　for

them；　then　they　stopped　searching　and　managed　to　do　without　them；　the

old　abbe　blowing　his　fire　with　an　air…cane　made　in　the　days　when　air…

canes　were　the　fashion；a　fashion　which　was　no　doubt　introduced　by

some　courtier　of　the　reign　of　Henri　III。　At　last；　about　a　month　before

her　death；　the　housekeeper；　after　a　dinner　at　which　the　Abbe　Mouchon；

the　Niseron　family；　and　the　curate　of　Soulanges　were　present；　returned

to　her　jeremiades　about　the　loss　of　the　bellows。



〃Why！　they've　been　these　two　weeks　in　Arsene's　bed！〃　cried　the　little

one；　with　a　peal　of　laughter。　〃Great　lazy　thing！　if　she　had　taken　the

trouble　to　make　her　bed　she　would　have　found　them。〃



As　it　was　1791　everybody　laughed；　but　a　dead　silence　succeeded　the

laugh。



〃There　is　nothing　laughable　in　that；〃　said　the　housekeeper；　〃since　I

have　been　ill　Arsene　sleeps　in　my　room。〃



In　spite　of　this　explanation　the　Abbe　Niseron　looked　thunderbolts　at

Madame　Niseron　and　his　nephew；　thinking　they　were　plotting　mischief

against　him。　The　housekeeper　died。　Rigou　contrived　to　work　up　the

abbe's　resentment　to　such　a　pitch　that　he　made　a　will　disinheriting

Jean…Francois　Niseron　in　favor　of　Arsene　Pichard。



In　1823　Rigou；　perhaps　out　of　a　sense　of　gratitude；　still　blew　the

fire　with　an　air…cane；　a